Al Balad, Old Town Jeddah

Many of the buildings of old town Jeddah, called Al Balad, have not withstood the test of time. The construction consists of wooden framework filled in with stone bricks made of crushed coral. Many of the buildings are crumbling or have already been destroyed. Many of the new residential buildings that are several stories high are built of bricks and mortar with steel rod reinforcement. Time will tell if the new buildings will last. The open weave lattice work wooden window coverings are called roshan or rawasheen and are a very typical and unique feature of windows in Jeddah.